Tray



Jan. 13, 1925'. O Y 1,523,136

J. B. O'CONNOR TRAY Filed June 19. 1920 2 Shoots-Shaw 2 ncenivr:

fihn 230657372073 Patented Jan. 13, 1925 I UNITED STATES 1 1,523,136 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. O'CONNOR, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON METALLIC MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TRAY.

Application filed J une 19, 1920. Serial No. 390,128.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, J OHN B. OCoNNoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Trays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sheet metal receptacles more particularly of the type frequently referred to as tool trays, the same being adapted to contain comparatively small articles, for example, drills, reamers, bits, etc., or hardware supplies such as bolts, nuts and the like. These receptacles are open at the top and the object of the invention is to provide a construction such that dividers may be located in various positions inthe receptacle for increasing or decreasing the size of the compartments. These receptacles are frequently used as bench drawers or in pigeon holes and, being of sheet metal, there is .a natural tendency when loaded for the sides to bulge, thereby causing them to bind. One of the objects of this invention is to provide dividers which will not only be readily movable from one placeto another but will, when in position, serve to tie the sides together and prevent their bulging, and also to prevent their being forced inward toward each other; in other words, one object is to produce a divider which will constitute a combined strut and tie. Another object is to provide side strips adapted to interlock with the dividers, the strips being so formed as to impart rigidity to the sides and to be easily mountable on them. Another object is to accomplish these purposes in asimple, eflicient and economical manner.

I accomplish my objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an assembly view showing the receptacle together with a single divider in the act of being inserted.

Figure 2 is an assembly view taken from above the receptacle.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4, Figure, 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line i 6 is a tive view 0 a mo ified f ci rdi of dividZfiP Figure 7 is a perspective view of the plain type of divider, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the side strips.

V Like niunerals denote like parts tliruout the several views.

' The body 1 of the receptacle is simply a box-like structure open at the "top and in the present case, shown to be comparatively shallow, although the depth may of course, be varied to suit the conditions of use. Secured to the sides of the receptacle are side strips 2, shown in pers ctive in Figures 1 and 8. These are of s eet metal and have a center channel 4 so formed that when the strips are in position, theconvex surface will lie towards the inside of the receptacle. At the bottom of the stri is a: flange 5, adapted to be spot-welde or otherwise secured to the inside of the receptacle. At the top of the strip is a flange 6 which the U-shaped so as to fit over the upper edge of the receptacle. The result of this construction is that when the U-shaped flange 6 is adjustedand the flange 5 is fastened in place, the strip will be securely held. It is not essential to provide any fastening device for the upper flanges '6, although they may be supplied if desired, or the flange may be spot-welded in place,

or may be caused to tightly grip the side of the receptacle by bumping 1t under a press. It will be evident that these strips, taken in conjunction with the sides of the receptacle, form a box-like construction which greatly adds to the rigidity but adds comparatively little to the amount of material and labor involved.

. The channeled portions of the side strips have slots 7 These are angle slots and preferably T-slots, the same having vertical portions in the convex portion of the chan nel and cross portions extending horizontally in opposite directions therefrom in the bends at the top and bottom of the channels.

A plain divider is shown in perspective in Figure 1 and separately in Figure 7. These dividers 8 have end flanges 10, 10 adapted to be inserted into one branch or the other of the T-slots, the end of the body portion of the divider entering the connecting or vertical portion of the slot. Of course it is not essential that these slots 7' have heads extending in both directions of the tools.

from the vertical portion, but by forming them in this manner the user has the choice as to whether he will insert the dividers with their flanges extending toward the front or toward the back end of the receptacle.

In practice the dividers may be readily inserted into or withdrawn from any pair of slots and hence it is readily possible to vary the number and size of the com artments. The slots are located comparatively close together thus affording a wide range of adjustment.

It is well known to those familiar with machine shop and similar methods, that tool rooms usually supply the machinists and toolmakers with numberedchecks, and a workman when desiring a tool must deposit one of his cheeks with the keeper of the tool room to enable the latter to keep track I have provided convenient means for handling these checks, viz: some of the dividers, as for example those numbered 12, are provided with slots 14 in the front, adapted to contain checks. These dividers have end flanges 10 as before, and are operated inthe same way except that when the workman withdraws a tool, the tool room keeper inserts into the slot 14, the checkwhich he has received from the workman for the tool taken from the compartment with which the divider is associated. For convenience, strip holders 16 may be provided in these special dividers for containing strips on which a description of the tool is marked.

It will be evident that when the dividers are in position in a receptacle, they will form struts for preventing the sides of the receptacle from collapsing in case pressure is exerted inward from the outside. On account of their end flanges, they also constitute ties for holding the sides against bulging under the stress of pressure exerted outward from the inside. The dividers may be thus regarded as combined struts and ties, and as previously stated, they are reversely insertable in any and every pair of slots. Thus by means of a simple and inexpensive expedient, I have provided a structure which is most rigid and yet which is of universal application in the sense that it may have one or many compartments, as occasion may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.' In combination, a receptacle, removable dividers therefor, and sheet metal side strips having portions for enga ing the sides of the receptacle and having intermediate channeled portions running lengthwise of the strips, the channeled portions having a plurality of transverse parallel slots exposed at the sides of the channel for re ceiving the ends of the dividers and reniovahly holding them in position.

2. In combination, a receptacle, removable sheet metal dividers therefor, said dividers having flanges at the ends bent approximately at right angles to the plane of the divider, and sheet metal side strips for removably holding the dividers, said side strips having flanges adapted to contact the walls of the receptacle, the portion between the flanges being channeled and projecting inward toward the interior of the receptacle, the channeled portion having parallel slots which are exposed at the end and are transverse to the length of the channel, and the channeled portion also having slots running lengthwise of the channel and connecting with the first mentioned slots, said slots being thus adapted to accommodate the dividers and their end flanges.

3. An open-top receptacle having side strips in addition to the sides of the receptacle, said strips 'being'channeled with their convex surfaces inward, the upper edge of the strips being U-shaped to engage the upper edge of the sides of the receptacle, the channeled portion of the strips having angle slots', one portion of each slot being vertical and the other portion horizontal and extending lengthwise of the receptacle; and a divider adaped to enter the vertical portion of the slots, the dividers having-end flanges adapted to enter the transverse portion of the slots.

strips in addition to the sides of the receptacle, said strips being channeled with their convex surfaces inward, the strips having T-slots provided with a vertical portion. and transverse, horizontal portions, the latter being in the upper and lower bends of the channel; and dividers adapted to enter the vertical portion of the slots, the dividers having end flanges adapted to enter either one or the other of the branches of the T-slots whereby the dividers are removable and reversible. J

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN B. OCONNOR.

4. An open-top receptacle having side 

